“Pavlova is one of the few desserts my mom thinks I do perfectly,” says Trisha Lacson, founder of 50 & Co. Bakery. Raised in a family of bakers, Lacson’s mother, Vicky, is known for being her toughest critic in the kitchen.
With its crisp shell, marshmallow-soft center, and fresh berries, the Pavlova is a dessert her mother genuinely loves—and one Lacson makes with extra care. “When she sees it, she knows I really went out of my way to make it for her,” she says.
Delicate, time-intensive, and deeply personal, the Pavlova has become Lacson’s sweetest tribute to the woman who shaped her standards in baking.
What is a Pavlova?
A pavlova is a meringue-based dessert topped with a light and airy cream and usually finished off with seasonal fruits.
Recipe Tip
- Make sure to use fresh eggs when making a meringue, and ensure that they have been kept cold in the fridge before use. Cold eggs make it easier to separate the yolk and the whites, but let the egg whites rest at room temperature.
- Use room temperature egg whites. They tend to whip more easily they are at room temperature.
- When making the heavy cream topping, make sure that all ingredients are chilled, including the mixing bowl and whisk. This will help keep the cream light and airy as you whip it. Wipe everything dry, too, as even a little water may keep the egg whites from fluffing up nicely.
- When preparing the meringue for baking, don’t pile them up on the baking sheet too high to keep them from collapsing later on.
- Bake the meringue on a low temperature. This ensures that the egg whites are getting baked gradually, which also result in fewer darker colored areas that may have been caused by too high heat during the baking process.
- Be gentle when putting on the berry topping. The Pavlova is a light and airy dessert which means it’s quite delicate. Use a steady but light hand when you start placing the berries on the meringue.
- Pro tip: If the meringue cracks a bit, use the heavy cream to cover up the cracks. Just make sure to do it with a light hand so as not to worsen the cracks.
“When she sees it, she knows I really went out of my way to make it for her,” she says.
Trisha Lacson, 50 & Co. Bakery
Substitutions and Alternatives
If you can’t find fresh berries in the supermarket, feel free to use any seasonal fruit available to you, such as mangoes, kiwi, or strawberries. Just take note that some fruits tend to be softer or have more juice in them which may affect the heavy cream topping or the meringue itself (which may end up soggy). Ripe mangoes, for example, while mostly fleshy, may be softer compared to berries that hold shape better.
